ML18135A117
| ML18135A117 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/11/2019 |
| From: | John Tappert Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs |
| To: | Semancik J Energy Consultant |
| RXChang NMSS/DUWP/MDB 415.5888 T5D26 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML18135A117 (3) | |
Text
J. Semanci UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 March 11, 2019 Mr. Jeffrey Semancik Director Radiation Division Bureau of Air Management Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection 79 Elm Street Hartford, CT 06106-5127
SUBJECT:
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFF REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE REGARDING SITE ACCESS TO PERFORM RADIOLOGICAL SURVEYS AT 330 QUEEN STREET, BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
Dear Mr. Semancik:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has identified 330 Queen Street in Bristol, Connecticut as a site where Radium-226 (radium) watch hands, dials, and other parts may have been improperly disposed approximately 60 years ago. Radium is a radioactive isotope that, in certain quantities, may pose a risk to public health and safety. Radium is regulated by the NRC, and NRC staff is seeking access to this property to perform radiological surveys and to collect samples to determine whether there is any residual contamination resulting from this alleged disposal of watch parts.
The NRC staff appreciates the State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP or State) staffs continuing assistance regarding sites with potential historic radium contamination. To date, the NRC, with CT DEEPs assistance, has identified several sites with historical radium contamination. As a result, four site owners (the former Benrus Clock Company, the former Waterbury Clock Company, the former New Haven Clock Company, and the former Seth Thomas Clock Company) have voluntarily implemented controls to protect public health and safety by limiting access to areas with elevated radium contamination. Additionally, one of these sites has completed cleanup activities (the former Benrus Clock Company), and another (the former New Haven Clock Company) has begun cleanup activities.
The NRC staff is requesting assistance from the CT DEEP to gain access to survey an additional site with potential historic radium, located at 330 Queen Street in Bristol, Connecticut.
Based on the NRC staff review of historic CT DEEP records, this site was identified in the late 1990s by an anonymous allegation that several wheelbarrow loads of radium watch parts were improperly disposed of at the property approximately 60 years ago. Following the allegation, CT DEEP officials visited the property and performed preliminary scans of the areas outside of the current apartment buildings located at the site. Preliminary scans came across two spots on the
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lawn with higher than normal readings expected at the site. Two soil samples were taken but did not show any activity over background. However, before filling the hole created by the samples, CT DEEP officials performed a scan of the hole, which resulted in elevated readings.
CT DEEP officials subsequently contacted the site owner to inquire about revisiting the site but were denied further access by the site owner.
The NRC staff has reached out to the owner of the 330 Queen Street property in Bristol, Connecticut to follow up on the CT DEEPs limited findings from the 1990s. The NRC staff sent a formal letter on October 16, 2016 requesting site access and held multiple follow-up calls with site representatives to gain site access with no success. Subsequently, staff from the NRCs Office of the General Counsel contacted the site owners counsel, who provided documentation of environmental testing that was previously performed onsite. However, the environmental testing results are insufficient to determine whether there is historic radiological contamination at the site. The information focuses on the environmental and chemical hazards, instead of the radiological hazards, and did not provide the level of detail necessary for the NRC to determine that there is no historic radiological contamination at the site.
Given this background and the States previous survey experience at this site, the NRC staff is requesting the CT DEEPs additional assistance to identify any historical radium contamination.
Based on previous conversations between the NRC and the CT DEEP, it is the NRC staffs understanding that CT DEEP has authority to access the property or seek an administrative search warrant through the state court, with assistance of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The NRC requests CT DEEP to further explore avenues to seek access to this property, so that public health and safety can be assured. The NRC staff can lend any support needed in this effort, including records and information from our previous attempts at securing cooperation from the landowners.
In accordance with 10 Code of Federal Regulations 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
If you would like to further discuss matters related to the 330 Queen Street site, please contact Mr. Stephen Koenick, Chief of the Low-Level Waste and Projects Branch within the Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards at (301) 415-6631, or Mr. Richard Chang, Project Manager, at (301) 415-5888, both of whom are the NRC staff contacts for this site.
Sincerely,
/RA/
John R. Tappert, Director Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards cc: R. Snook, Assistant Attorney General